archenemy | clexa

forty four

The tent is glowing with candles more than usual when Lexa and Clarke enter Abby's temporary home for dinner. Clarke can't suppress the smile- some unconscious plus points for Lexa.

The table in the middle of the tent is filled with an abundance of food and wine and Abby has gotten another pair of chairs from someone. "I'm so glad you could make it," Abby chimes. She looks like she has slept enough not to be too grumpy, like she's had a good bath and a good lunch and a fair break of work.

She's even wearing a woolen dress, tight on her body to keep her warm, and has her hair up. The air is toasty warm due to the fireplace, but it is after all still a tent in northern Azgeda.

Clarke is wearing jeans and a thick, knitted sweater, a colorful and opposing image to the woman next to her. Really, if it wasn't for the tent and Lexa, it would look like a picture from the 21st century on Earth, just a mom and a daughter having dinner. Like this, it looks a little bit distorted, like two photographs from two entirely different times intertwined.

On one hand, there's the Griffin women and the food, and on the other, there's the furs, the tent, Lexa in a fine armor and with a dagger by her side. Nothing personal, just an accessoire like Clarke always wears her watch.

"Thank you for the invitation," Clarke beams and hugs her mother. Lexa extends her hand- Abby Griffin hugged her once and Lexa does not feel the need for it right now again.

"Well, take a seat."

"The food is looking fantastic, how did you even learn how to cook?" Clarke asks curiously.

"Well, before this virus I had reasonable working times and time off. I picked a useful skill to improve and I guess here we are."

The food is incredible. Despite the small number of people, it is easily party-esque, the fancy, earthy kind. Chatter and laughter vibrate in the air, first Clarke's and Abby's and as the evening progresses, Lexa's too. Everything is of delicate meat, cream sauce, preserved and sweetend fruits, steamed vegetables, rich wine and soft bread. Everything is of a comfort and familiarity that Lexa is not used to. Not with Abby and not in general.

Just as they're having desert, Raven, Anya, Octavia and Lincoln come in. Well, Raven comes in, and the rest follows more or less hesitant.

Raven shouts Abby's name from far outside to announce herself and then enters, Octavia knocks at the tent frame and joins in, Anya stands straightly in the background like a guard and Lincoln is even further back, bowing his head politely upon entering.

"Hi Mama G, are you having a party without me?" Raven asks, looking meaningfully between the Heda, Clarke and Abby. "Is there anything I don't know, any... serious topics to discuss?" A clear indication to Clarke and the Heda. "You have interesting guests." An even clearer indication.

"We came to celebrate the end of quarantine a bit, but we can leave if it's a bad time," Octavia asserts from the back.

"Oh shush, come in. We're just having dinner, we'll find something for you to sit on. You brought guests?"

"Oh yes, the hot one is mine," Raven grins. "No offense, Octavia's knight in shining armor, you're hot too but you know-"

"Raven," Anya cuts Raven's excited rambling off calmly, who scoffs and says,

"Fine, fine, I'm getting to the point. Abby, meet my tentmate, Anya. And girlfriend, perchance."

Anya and Lexa exchange a quick glance. Anya flashes a short grin and wiggles her eyebrows, then focuses back on Raven and Abby. "It's nice to meet you, ma'am," she says.

"Well, you too! I'm looking forward to have a little talk, you know, Raven is practically my daughter and-"

"Mom," Clarke intervenes in a warning, scolding tone and Abby waves it off.

"Right, sit down. And Octavia, who is the gentleman you brought?"

"That's Lincoln. He was the rider of the Heda's horse that saved my life." While Abby looks at Lincoln, Octavia looks at the Heda and bows her head. She has thanked the woman before of course, but she feels that respect is in place nonetheless.

"And you are... friends?"

"Well uh..."

Lincoln steps forward and shakes Abby's hand firmly but carefully. "Octavia is your daughter?" His Grounder-ish accent is stronger than Lexa's and Anya's, probably because he does not speak English as often as a general and the Heda, but despite the hard sound of his words, his voice is soft and respectful.

"As good as," Abby replies. "I have unofficially adopted the whole lot of them."

"I have taken an interest in your daughter, but she is not my niron. I felt I should ask you beforehand."

Lexa's and Anya's eyes meet again. They hadn't asked, but cultures differed among the clans. Also, different situations, right? Neither Clarke nor Raven had mentioned anything.

"Oh, dear, yes. Octavia is free to be with anyone she likes."

Clarke gasps dramatically. "Excuse you? Non-biological daughter priviliges or what?"

"Shush. The Heda is sweet too."

Everybody's brows raise. "How much wine have you had?" Clarke asks sceptically.

"Barely any, thank you. I told you what I think and I also think she is very respectful and honorable. Now, let's feast. There's dessert for everybody."

-

After dessert, they sit around the table in a short, comfortable silence. Suddenly, Clarke gets up and says, "There's a definite lack of music."

"Oh yes," Raven agrees. "Shall I give a solo?"

"Oh God, I think I still have the recorder," Abby says quickly and Raven crosses her arms offended. Though only a few minutes later, music sounds from a recorder and all three Grounders present look entirely flabbergasted.

"What is happening?" Anya asks.

"It's music. To dance," Raven beams, getting up and extending her hand.

"It's coming out of the box?"

"Yes!"

"Oh my God, you people are so weird." Anya takes Raven's hand nonetheless.

Clarke offers Lexa to dance too, a cheeky grin on her face because they both remember the last time they danced. The bonding ceremony. The start of everything. Well, not really, but the encounter before is an inappropriate thought for a family celebration.

This time, it's softer. Their bodies sway as Clarke teaches Lexa how to dance and they grow closer the more intimate the music grows. It's strange how the body can become so accustomed to another's body, that Clarke enjoys Lexa's scent of pine so routinely and Lexa buries her nose in Clarke's shoulder just a little more to smell the rose scent of her soap, that they recognize the scent, the touches, the rhythm of breathing as a part of home so easily.

Then, just before they have succumbed into old couple dancing entirely, the song changes to something more upbeat.

Bellamy comes in somewhen and the couples break apart to dance with each other and in a group of everyone, until Lexa has danced with Lincoln and Abby with Anya and Bellamy with Clarke.

It's midnight when they eventually leave. The air is buzzing, full of bright and warm things. Lexa feels a little light-headed, like she could go on to dance about in a rather small tent to strange music all night. The twirls and laughters and the singing has all made her drunk on a feeling of a celebration that was so unusually intimate.

Clarke holds her hand on the way back, still humming a tune, swaying her hips to it and unexpectedly twirling Lexa in the middle of the snowy path. Lexa squeals like a small child and almost slips, holding onto Clarke, who grins broadly, a star in the cold and dark night.

Close to soft pink lips and blushy, glowy cheeks, to mildly messy hair and a scent of fruity wine, Lexa cannot deny anything. She kisses Clarke, hands holding her jaw, and says, "I love you so much, Clarke."

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